


Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones (but Your Words Will Always Hurt Me)

by donutdisturblivball



Series: MCYT Oneshots I Write Because I Have No Life [5]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: :(, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, Break Up, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Dream has a temper, Established Relationship, Eventual Happy Ending, Fights, Getting Back Together, M/M, Sad, Sad with a Happy Ending, This is honestly just so sad, bbh is a good friend, it hurts me to write it, so is Sapnap, they'll get back together eventually tho so-, this first chapter is just angst tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:34:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27484345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/donutdisturblivball/pseuds/donutdisturblivball
Summary: Dream always knew he had a short temper. George hadn’t known this. Maybe if he’d told him, things wouldn’t feel so cold.~~~Or, in which they get into an argument that leaves them colder than ever before.(my summaries are still shit, sorry guys.)
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: MCYT Oneshots I Write Because I Have No Life [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1988605
Comments: 40
Kudos: 343





	1. Cold

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is gonna be riding on some heavy angst. i'm sorry in advance. i wrote that 8k word fic earlier, so just take this lol.
> 
> it's been a while since i've written dreamnotfound. of course the next fic i post about them is gonna be angst lmaooo
> 
> random, but i'm writing this while listening to this (if you're not in the mood for crying, you can listen to this. i legitimately guarantee it'll make it better): https://youtu.be/KVCFN0Ruyp8
> 
> anyway, i'm sorry once again in advance. this first chapter is short because i'm still tired and it's just kinda a sad simple thingy, yknow? well... i guess you can read on if you want... if you're not good with angst, you could just wait until i post the next two parts. tbh you'll probably hate dream after this first part. if you do, then i did my job right.
> 
> ~donut c:

Dream always knew he had a short temper. He was one to snap, he would say things that he wouldn’t mean. As a child, he’d sometimes walk out on family arguments, and then come back later to talk it out once he’d cooled off. However, George hadn’t known this. Maybe if he’d told him, things wouldn’t feel so cold.

~~~

_ “Will you just drop it?” he asked, trying to tune George out as he continued working on his computer.  _

_ “I’ll drop it once you come to bed. You need your sleep, Clay,” George sighed, leaning against the door frame.  _

_ “Just give me a few minutes, geez. You’re so needy sometimes.” The words had a certain bite to them, one that made George flinch in response. He closed in on himself.  _

_ “I just care for you,” he replied, “You need some rest. Spending this much time working isn’t healthy. When was the last time we actually ate together?” _

_ Dream turned around in his chair, his expression irritated. “Why the fuck does that even matter, George? It’s not like eating together is something we’re required to do.” _

_ George looked shocked at Dream’s response, and he gave him a hard glare. “No, but I like eating with you,” he said, “Now that I have your attention, let’s go to bed.” _

_ “I’m not sleeping yet, just drop it already!” he huffed, going back to work.  _

_ “Clay! Why don’t you  _ listen _ to me?!” George stomped his foot, and Dream felt his fingers twitch at how irritably stubborn George was being. _

_ “Oh my god, just go already, George. It’s not like you’ll die without me.” _

_ He felt George’s glare, though he paid it no mind as he continued editing his video. He put on headphones, blasting some music to tune his boyfriend out. George came over and unplugged the headphones, causing Dream to look up at the brunet.  _

_ “Why the fuck did you do that?!” he asked, standing up from his chair. George held his ground. _

_ “We need to talk, Clay. You’ve been so irritable these past few days,” he stopped, his voice becoming softer as he reached for Dream. “You can talk to me, you know.” _

_ “I don’t need to talk to you, George,” Dream hissed, grabbing his headphone cord, “I need to finish working. You can go back to doing whatever dumb shit you do.” _

_ George snapped. “What the fuck is up with you?!”  _

_ “What do you mean?” _

_ He scoffed at Dream’s incredulousness. “Are you kidding me? You’ve been so… so easy to annoy these days! I have to watch every word I say with you!” _

_ “Maybe you should just leave me alone, then!” _

_ “Clay, I fucking love you, I’m not going to let you work yourself to death.” _

_ “Does it look like I care? I need to work, so I’m gonna work. I don’t care about what you want.” _

_ George recoiled, slowly backing away from Dream. “Do you seriously mean that?” _

_ “Oh my god, you’re so sensitive. I’m leaving,” Dream scoffed, grabbing a backpack. _

_ “Wait-- no, Clay, please don’t leave,” George suddenly came back, trying to beg the other into staying. “Please, I really do love you, we can just talk, please don’t leave.” _

_ “I don’t belong to you, George,” Clay scowled, “I can leave whenever I want.” _

_ “No, you don’t, but please don’t leave,” his voice sounded broken, yet in Dream’s temperamental state, he simply shook George’s hands off. _

_ “Leave me alone, George,” he said, slamming the door on his way out. _

_ ~~~ _

_ Dream had walked for around two hours when he got the text. He’d gone around the park, and he’d finally talked himself through the memory. It was his fault-- he knew that. He simply had been too harsh, and he’d said things he didn’t mean. He was ready to go back and apologize. That was, of course, until he’d gotten a notification. _

**_George: We should break up._ **

_ Dream stopped walking immediately, looking at the text for a good five minutes, rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. What was happening? Was George tired of him? Dream tried to formulate a response in his head as he stood in the middle of the sidewalk, his phone clenched tightly in his trembling hands. He hadn’t realised he was crying until he could barely read the text on his phone. As tears poured out of his eyes, he sent a response before turning around and running as fast as he could to Bad’s house. _

**_Dream: ok._ **

_ ~~~ _

_ He texted Bad urgently as he stood crying outside of his door. As soon as he opened it, he was engulfed in a hug. _

_ “I’m so sorry,” Bad whispered, consoling the sobbing man.  _

_ Dream didn’t remember a lot about the rest of that night. All he remembered was the warm soup Bad had made for him, a warm shower, and Bad helping him into bed, drifting off to sleep with tear-stained cheeks. He remembered waking up, grabbing his phone as a wish that it was all a dream, only to reread the texts and begin shaking with sobs in Bad’s guest bed.  _

_ ~~~ _

It had been around a week since his break-up with George. While he feigned happiness around Bad, and acted like he was slowly getting better, he couldn't stop himself from regretting that night, or thinking about what he could have done better. As he slept at night, all he could do was remember George’s warmth, and how he would never get to feel the older man’s hugs, kisses, or love anymore. He’d never get to have what he wanted most. Dream felt lost, and he felt cold at night, despite Bad generously offering him tons of blankets and turning up the heat. Everything tasted bland, and nothing seemed to have a purpose anymore. 

Dream laid awake at night, replaying the break-up, the fight, replaying everything in his head. All he could do was curl up and cry, regretting everything and wishing for a reset button. All he wanted was George. He missed him so much. George, who’s smile seemed to make everything brighter, George, who’s laughter gave him butterflies in his stomach, George, who cared too much and who he still loved with his whole heart.

As he fell asleep to the fantasies of George laying next to him and tear stained cheeks, all he could think about was how undeniably cold he had been in the morning, and how much he yearned for George’s everlasting warmth.

He loved him. He loved him so much, yet he let him go. Dream let out a shaky sigh as Bad knocked on the bedroom door, standing up and placing his mask of happiness on his face. He loved him, and he pushed him away. He loved him, and now he would never get him back.


	2. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> george would do anything for dream. as long as he was happy, then it would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry in advance. listen to this to avoid crying (ngl this is my new jam): https://youtu.be/KVCFN0Ruyp8
> 
> it'll get better after this. i promise.
> 
> ~donut 
> 
> p.s: it's short bc i'm still recovering from my previous oneshot. i swear tho, next chapter will be longer.

George should have been mad. He should not have been crying on the couch of their-- his-- the house. He should feel like he got out of a relationship that was hurting him-- he shouldn’t have felt sad. That was what he told himself as he sobbed on the brown couch of the house, five days after he sent the text that had ruined it all.

_ ~~~ _

_ Dream slammed the door behind him, leaving behind a shaking George. Dream left. He was leaving. Would he come back? George slumped to the ground, feeling tears that he had been holding back leak out of his eyes. He began crying, shaking on the floor. The house was quiet. Dream’s room was still illuminated by the computer that he was working on. All George could hear, all that he could feel was how utterly cold and dark it was, how deafeningly silent it was, and how goddamn hurt he felt. _

_ He pulled out his phone, sending a text to Sapnap, and the other got on a call with him immediately.  _

_ “Sap-- Nick,” he whispered, his voice cracking as he uttered his name. He couldn’t formulate any more words, as his body shook with sobs and his vision blurred.  _

_ “George?” Sapnap asked, “What’s wrong-- are you  _ crying _?!” _

_ George didn’t answer, his mind too blurred as he continued sobbing on the floor. Sapnap stayed on call with him as he calmed himself down, consoling him through the phone. He heard keys rattling on the other side of the call as Sapnap left his house, obviously driving to George.  _

_ “We got into a fight,” George whispered, all his tears gone, albeit he was still hiccuping. “He left and slammed the door.” _

_ Sapnap seemed to stay silent as he processed George’s words. “Was it… you know, a…” _

_ “A break up?” George whispered, the words clenching around his heart, constricting his lungs as he imagined it. Was this a break up? _

_ “Yeah.” _

_ “No-- It-- I don’t know,” he cried, his voice wavering as he thought more about the fight. Was Dream sick of him? It certainly seemed like it. Maybe… maybe they  _ should _ break up. Maybe it was what Dream wanted. Maybe it would make him happy. George would be happy as long as Dream was. That was love. That was this fucked up idea of love, one that George had adopted as he spent time with Dream. As long as Dream was happy, he’d be happy too. He’d do anything to make Dream smile, to make him laugh, to keep him from tears. That was love. That was how George loved Dream, and he was sure that it was how Dream loved him. George felt tears welling up in his eyes again. Dream wasn’t happy with him anymore. He wasn’t  _ good _ enough for Dream. Dream would be happier without him… even if he would be missing a part of himself without Dream. _

_ “Should it  _ be _ a break up?” he asked, his voice barely audible as tears began spilling down his cheeks again. _

_ “Wait, George, think this through--” _

_ Sapnap’s voice had become a blur to him as he opened up his messages app to text Dream. He couldn’t coherently remember much as he typed, just knowing the message he wanted to send. His vision was blurry as he sent it, knowing he had let go. Knowing that he had given it up, because it would make Dream happy. Because Dream’s happiness mattered to him more than anything, and if Dream was happy without him, then he would be happy too. He felt his lungs constrict as his heart died inside his chest and he felt as he was drowning as he read Dream’s reply. _

**_George: We should break up._ **

**_Dream: ok._ **

_ He let out a loud sob, placing his phone down and cradling his head in his arms. _

_ “George?...” Sapnap asked, and George heard a car pull into the driveway. The door opened and Sapnap entered the house, pulling George into a hug. _

_ “I’m so sorry,” he whispered as George leaned into him, crying. Sapnap was warm, but George still felt freezing as he cried. He didn’t remember a moment when he had stopped crying, nor did he recall drifting off to bed. However, when he woke up, colder than ever and alone in his bed, he knew it had happened. He’d lost. He’d loved, and he’d lost.  _

_ ~~~ _

“George?” Sapnap asked, entering the room with some fresh soup. “You should really start sleeping in your own room again.”

George shook his head, his red-shot eyes looking down at his lap. He hadn’t talked, really. For many days now, the only sounds he made were sounds of despair as he cried.

“No,” he whispered, “You deserve it. It’d be mean if I left you to sleep on the couch.”

It was a lie, and Sapnap knew. He knew that George could barely stand to even be on the couch, where many memories of falling asleep with Dream were. He knew that even entering their bedroom would be too much for him, but he needed a better place to rest, despite the minimal amount of actual sleep he was getting. He pretended he didn’t know that George tended to look through his phone at photos of him and Dream, he pretended that he didn’t know that George cried as he reread texts from him to Dream. George knew that Sapnap knew all these things. He was glad he never mentioned any of them. 

Sapnap sighed and left the soup on the table. “I’ll be in my room if you need me,” he said.

George numbly nodded, picking up the warm bowl with a shaking hand. It felt warm against his cold fingertips. As he swallowed the soup, feeling the burn in his throat, he couldn’t deny that he still felt heavy, like there was a pile of rocks in his stomach. He wanted to feel warm-- but he could only remember how Dream made him soup when he was sick just a few months ago. George shut his eyes tightly, putting the bowl back down on the table and pushing it away. His appetite was gone. He pulled the blankets over him, laying back down on the couch wrapped up in a ball. George pretended that Dream was hugging him as he fell back asleep with tear stained cheeks. When Sapnap woke up to scold him for not finishing the soup, he only looked at his friend with blood-shot, puffy, empty eyes. Everything just felt so undeniably cold, and George didn’t know if it’d ever warm up again. 

~~~

**Sapnap: bad weve gotta help themmmmmm**

**Bad: I know. I’ve got a plan, you potato.**

~~~

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> get yourself a friend like bad and sapnap smh. heck, i'll be your friend :D
> 
> last part will either be up today or tmrw. depends on how i feel ;)
> 
> i've got many regrets, but none at the same time.
> 
> ~donut <3


	3. Forgiveness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bad and Sapnap deserve an award. George and Dream move on, together. It's going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aisdjfhasiodlkjfsauhsidfjkasdf
> 
> i know. i'm a bitch. i'm sorry for taking so long. it just took a while to picture exactly how i wanted this to go. note: i haven't gone bowling in like a year so like idk how bowling shoe sizes work lmao
> 
> i hope this makes up for the amount of angst this fic has held. i hope this meets your expectations. i hope this is everything you guys wanted from the ending of this fic.
> 
> i hope this was all worth it.
> 
> ~donut uvu

Sapnap loved his friends. He cared about them-- so much, that is, that he cried as he recorded their confessions when they had finally met up in Florida. He cared about them so much that he didn’t mind the countless amounts of third wheeling he was subjected to, despite how “disgusted” he acted. 

Dream had anger issues. Sapnap knew that, of course, since he had been Dream’s friend for longer than George had. He’d forgotten to warn his friend about it, and he was surprised to find out that Dream himself hadn’t told George about it either. However, when George called him in the middle of the night, his sobs loud and clear through the phone, he knew Dream had blown. 

For the past few days, all he could do was console his friend as he and Bad came up with an elaborate plan for their operation, titled “DreamNotFound: Operation Kiss and Make-Up” (guess who chose the name).

Maybe he should be taking it more seriously. After all, both his friends were in tears, and this probably felt more real than anything else ever had to them. However, he was an outsider. He was literally watching a dramatic soap opera unfold before his eyes. Before they had gotten together, they were idiots. It seems that nothing has changed.

~~~

BadBoyHalo knew Dream and George since they were teenagers when they first met. He watched like an older brother as his friends found each other, witnessing a romance blossom right before his eyes. He watched and listened as Dream found himself falling for George, and he advised George as he denied his crush on Dream. He smiled as he watched the video Sapnap had sent to him, one of their overly dramatic confessions (under a cherry blossom tree, no less. How Dream managed to find  _ and _ confess under one in Florida, Bad would never know). He remembered going to sleep that night with his heart filled with happiness for his friends.

Bad himself hadn’t known about Dream’s temper when he’d shown up at his doorstep that night. He didn’t get much information from Sapnap, other than the fact that Dream and George had broken up, and were both in desperate need of comfort. He was always willing to offer his friend shelter, but what he didn’t expect was for Dream to stay at his place for five days, despite the fact that he was getting, as it seemed, ‘better.’ 

He wasn’t dull. As oblivious as he could be, he was close enough to Dream to know that despite being a skilled actor, there were some instances where Dream couldn’t hide the fall of his smile, or the tear stained cheeks that he tried so hard to hide. However, it seemed that this façade seemed to be Dream’s only source of solace, so he didn’t say anything, simply treating his friend as normal. Dream seemed to appreciate his efforts.

Bad had never been an expert at romance. Any previous love interests had either turned him away, or hadn’t been who he’d expected them to be. He wasn’t skilled with handling break ups himself, nor was he skilled with confessions or make ups. Yet as he watched his friend pine and sulk in his own wallows, he knew exactly what to do, exactly what to say, and plan DreamNotFound: Operation Kiss and Make Up had been formed. 

~~~

“George,” Sapnap said to his friend, who had finally left the comfort of the couch for the first time in five days, “What do you want for breakfast?”

George looked down, his hair a mess and his eyes swollen and red. He stared at his mug of apple juice as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. He made a noncommittal hum, signifying that he didn’t care.

“George,” Sapnap sighed, arms crossed, “I asked you a question.”

“I don’t care,” he muttered, “Make whatever you want.”

Sapnap bit his lip, deciding whether or not to just drop the conversation there, or to initiate step one of Bad’s plan. Finally, he huffed, standing right in front of George.

“Look, dude,” he said, his voice soft and gentle, as if he was talking to a baby animal. “I know that life kinda sucks for you right now, but it’s never gonna get better if you keep sulking around your house. You’ve gotta put yourself together.”

George tilted his head up slowly, his eyes watering once more as his lip quivered. “I’m not ready yet,” he whispered.

“You’re never going to be ready, George,” Sapnap replied, “You’re never going to be ready unless someone pushes you forward. I’m not asking you to move on. I’m just asking you to try to pick yourself up again.”

The brit ducked down, avoiding eye contact and Sapnap’s lecture in itself.

“Give me a few more days,” he said in response, and Sapnap shook his head.

“It’s been a week George. How about we just go for some bowling together?” 

George bit his lip. “I’m not sure, Nick--”

“Come on, George,” Sapnap pleaded, “You’ve gotta put yourself out there. Fans are starting to worry, and now I am too, even though I’ve got the insider knowledge.”

He sighed. “Fine.”

Despite still getting better, Sapnap could only grin as he saw the slight smile on George’s face as he whooped in celebration.

~~~

“Clay, wanna go bowling today?” Bad asked, popping his head through the doorframe of the guest room, where Dream had claimed as his newfound home. It was still relatively clean, but you could easily tell where Dream had been from the lack of care many things had been given. 

Dream shrugged. “I’m not sure, Darryl,” he muttered, “I’m kinda enjoying being shunned away from society in your house.”

Bad rolled his eyes. “You can’t stay here forever, you muffinhead.”

“I can and I will. Watch me.”

Bad sighed. Dream was many things, and one of those many things was stubborn. He was always so stubborn, and while it could be an admirable quality at times, Bad found himself growing steadily more irritated with the blonde.

“Clay, I’m just gonna cut to the point,” Bad said as he walked over to sit on the edge of the bed, “George is gonna be there too.”

Dream’s head snapped up to glare at Bad. “Was that supposed to convince me?”

“Not really,” he replied, “But I think you should still go just to meet him again.”

“No-“

“Even if you guys broke up, do you really want to lose that friendship you guys had beforehand?” Bad asked firmly, before his face morphed into an expression of pity. “You’ve gotta explain it to George, Clay. He deserves it.”

“I know,” Dream whispered, avoiding the pitying eyes of Bad, “But I don’t know if I can take it. Knowing that… I can’t ever call him mine.”

“George never belonged to you, Clay,” Bad replied, his voice soft and gentle, “He was always his own person that he gave to you, and you gave yourself to him. Even if you’re not together anymore, you guys always had a part of each other. That isn’t going to go away, no matter how much you avoid each other.”

Dream felt his face become hot and his eyes sting, and Bad sat down on the bed next to Dream as he cried. He consoled the shaking man, but he smiled to himself knowing that he had convinced the blond.

After his tears subsided and he felt somewhat calm again, Dream looked up at Bad. “I’m going to do it.”

~~~

Dream and Bad arrived there before George and Sapnap did. After arguing about who was going to pay (Dream beat him to the counter), the two sat in a couch in the corner of the bowling alley, waiting for their friends to arrive.

“Nick, I’m paying, and you can’t stop me!”

Dream’s head shot up, and he turned around to see George and Sapnap by the counter themselves, paying for admission. His heart stopped for a pure second as he soaked in the image of the other man. His hair was a little bit ruffled, and despite being a few feet away, Dream was able to make out how pale the Brit’s complexion was. He smiled, but it seemed less genuine, and had Dream not been so unequivocally in love with him, he wouldn’t have noticed. His heart cracked at the fact that he knew himself that he was the cause for George’s disheveled look. He had made a promise to himself before, that he would never be the cause of George’s tears, only his smiles. Dream felt his heart burn as he realized just how much he had broken that promise.

Dream turned away from George, steadying himself as he prepared for George to come over to where he and Bad sat. It was only a matter of a few seconds before George would see him again, and he’d get a closer look at how he  _ really _ looked. He wasn’t sure if he could handle it.

“C’mon George, let’s go over here,” Sapnap said, leading George towards the area Dream and Bad were at.

“Nick, someone’s already sitting the-” he cut himself off as he noticed both Dream and Bad sitting there, obviously waiting for someone. Some  _ people _ , it seemed. He stopped in his tracks.

Dream was there, and goddamnit, he still looked so fucking pretty. His eyes were a bit puffy, and his hair was much more messy than it should have been, and he could tell that Dream hadn’t been taking care of himself. He wanted nothing more than to run to Dream, jump into his arms and give him a kiss, before he would scold Dream for not taking better care of himself. Dream laughed at something Bad said, and his heart ached yet flew at the sound of his laughter. It was angelic, and he never knew just how much he missed that laughter until now. Even though he wasn’t looking his best, in George’s eyes, he still looked just as beautiful as he did the first day he’d finally seen what he’d looked like, and it pained him to know that he had lost that man. 

Sapnap pulled George along, since he obviously wasn’t going to move himself. Dream’s chatter died down as he noticed the two approaching, and as soon as George looked into Dream’s eyes, he felt his breath stop and the world seemed to stop spinning. All he could do was look into the eyes that he  _ knew _ were green, but appeared a piss-yellow, and feel as his heart rate accelerated and as a lump formed in his throat. There was so much he wanted to say, so much he wanted to do, yet he couldn’t do any of it, and he couldn’t say anything. 

Finally, George turned away from the intense gaze and glared at Sapnap. “I’d like to have a conversation with you.”

Dream and Bad were still sitting down, and Sapnap nodded with a wobbly grin. Bad stood up, clapping his hands together to grab everyone’s attention.

“Well,” Bad grinned, “Clay and I should go get some bowling shoes for us. What’s your size?”

“Six.”

“George is a five,” Dream said, “We’ll be back.”

He remembered. Of course he did.

Dream and Bad walked off to the front counter to ask for bowling shoes for all of them. As soon as they were out of hearing range, George spoke. 

“Care to explain?”

Sapnap sighed. “George, I’m sorry.”

“You better be,” he huffed, crossing his arms.

“I am,” Sapnap nodded, “But I’m also not.”

George raised an eyebrow at his friend. “Why’s that?”

“You’re going to have to talk to him, George,” Sapnap said, “It’s impossible to keep running from him. At the very least, don’t let whatever this break-up was ruin your friendship.”

George looked at him uncertainly.

Sapnap sighed. “Do you really wanna lose Clay all together?” he asked, his voice quiet, “You guys are my best friends. I don’t wanna end up losing either of you because of this.”

George looked up from his lap to meet Sapnap’s sad-ridden eyes. Sapnap was right. He didn’t want to lose Dream (heck, he didn’t want to break up with the man at all), and he most definitely didn’t want his best friend to get hurt because of his break up. So, with a heavy heart, he nodded. 

“Alright,” George whispered as Dream and Bad returned with their shoes, “I’ll try.”

The smile Sapnap gave him made him feel infinitely better about it all. 

~~~

He was trying. He really was. It was just… difficult. Dream seemed untouchable. George wasn’t  _ stupid _ , and Dream’s sideway glances and constant twitching showed that he wanted to talk to George just as much as he wanted to talk to him. The difficult thing was  _ making _ that move to actually start up a conversation-- and it was not the move George wanted to make himself.

Despite being there to bowl, Bad was really the only one truly participating, cheering and booing whenever someone either got some pins or got none. Sapnap kept glancing between the two, giving George a pointed look of which George ignored. He was getting to it.

Sometimes when he gets a spare, he notices Dream smiling a bit, obviously hiding it as he continues to scroll through twitter on his phone. Sometimes he tries to get a spare because maybe if he does Dream will congratulate him and nothing will have changed. Sometimes he tries to bowl because then he’ll get to see that small sweet smile on Dream’s face, because he longs for it even though he’s not supposed to anymore.

He still tries, and he still doesn’t get anymore of a reaction from Dream other than those small sweet smiles, but for now, it’s enough. Dream still cares.

~~~

Sapnap was so fucking done with his friends. 

Dream was obviously holding back-- and he wanted to do nothing more than push his friend into George with all his might, getting at least  _ some _ sort of interaction between the two. 

George, on the other hand… he was just done. 

They were dancing in circles around each other, acting as if if they met in the middle, they’d only be met with fire. Maybe they would. They were too  _ scared _ , too tentative, too afraid. They didn’t want to get burned, and so despite it being cold, they would get close to the flame and then pull away as soon as they felt too hesitant to go further.

Sapnap would gladly push them into the fire. If only Bad wasn’t giving him a look, holding him back from doing anything. When they made the plan, they’d agreed to do as little as possible-- George and Dream needed to take the first initiative themselves. It wouldn’t be real if Bad and Sapnap interfered any more than they already had.

It was true, of course. That didn’t stop him from twitching his fingers whenever he saw Dream and George awkwardly staring at each other while Bad rolled his bowling ball, or internally screaming when George purposefully tried to be somewhat good at bowling to get a smile out of Dream.

His friends were hopeless idiots. He wondered why he loved them a lot of the time.

~~~

“I’m going to get some food,” Dream said, standing up and stretching his arms. The atmosphere that had been created was far too awkward, and now he needed out. “Anyone want anything?”

Sapnap shook his head, and Bad asked for a muffin. He looked towards George, holding in a breath. “George?”

The Brit looked up, fumbling with his words. “Just some juice is fine, I guess.”

Dream nodded, and walked away. 

~~~

It had been a few minutes. Fourteen to be exact. Not that George was counting. His leg was absolutely not twitching, his fingers weren’t nervously twitching against his knee, and he wasn’t looking over his shoulder at the doorway in worry of where Dream was.

“George,” Sapnap said, breaking the older man’s trance, his head snapping to face the Texan. “Clay will be back soon. You need to calm down, man.”

George raised an eyebrow. “I’m not worried.”

“I never said you were.”

“You implied it.”

“Am I wrong, though?”

“It’s just been a while.”

“It’s literally only been like, what, fifteen minutes?” Sapnap waved his hand non-commitally as George whispered a quiet,  _ “Seventeen.” _ “Maybe there was a long line.”

“Maybe,” he shrugged, slumping in his seat as he tried to push himself further into the cushion of the couch. 

~~~

Dream still wasn’t back. It had been seven more minutes since his quick conversation with Sapnap, and George really was willing to admit at this point that he was worried. Somewhat.

“I’m going to the bathroom,” George announced, standing up. He pocketed his phone, and walked off, not waiting for a response. 

Sapnap turned to look at Bad. “Why did those two idiots break up again?”

Bad shrugged. “Miscommunication, I guess. It happens.” He looked off at where George had disappeared to. “I hope those two muffins get it together. It really hurts to see them like this.”

“Hey, quick question.”

“Hm?”

“Don’t you feel like… maybe we should help them move on? It’d be bad if they just stayed pining over each other forever, right?”

Bad seemed to stay silent as he contemplated Sapnap’s question. “I guess it’s because we know that if we try to help them move on, they won’t. They’re soulmates, Nick, literally. They care too much about each other to let the other go. Whether or not they wanted to, they carry a part of each other. You can’t tell me that whenever George talks to you alone, you don’t hear a bit of Dream’s voice in your head too.”

Sapnap thought about it. He supposed it explained why he sometimes got headaches from just talking to Dream alone. “I guess. Why won’t they try to let go, though?”

“Because,” Bad replied, “Despite it all, they can’t help but run back to what they want. It’s human nature, Nick. You stick close to home.”

~~~

George didn’t expect to find Dream so fast. 

“Ouf-” he grunted as he bumped into a taller figure. George looked up to meet Dream’s eyes, and he would’ve gotten lost in the golden color and the way his eyelashes fluttered slightly, and the fact that Dream’s face was so close that he could count and trace every freckle, that he could easily lean forward just a bit to press his lips on Dream’s. But they broke up. Dream was happier without George anyway. 

“George?” he asked (George refused to admit how much missed the way his own name sounded from Dream’s lips), before looking down at his shirt due to how cold it suddenly got, “Fuck.”

George followed his gaze and noticed the coke that was previously in Dream’s hand had spilled onto Dream’s shirt, and George was almost immediately overtaken with guilt.

“Shit, Clay,” he breathed, pulling the taller male to the bathroom, “Here, let me help.”

“W-wait,” Dream stuttered slightly, “You don’t need to help me-”

“I want to,” George replied, “I feel guilty now, to be honest.”

The two entered the bathroom, and George instructed Dream to sit on the counter, the blond following his instructions. George ripped some paper from the dispenser and soaked it before squeezing to let out any excess water. He walked back over to Dream who seemed to be dazedly watching him, and reached under his shirt to get a better handle on the mess, ignoring how the american’s breath seemed to hitch at his actions.

The two stayed in awkward silence as George continued cleaning Dream’s shirt, Dream avoiding eye contact with the older man, knowing that if he looked, he’d never be able to look away. George bit his lip, ignoring the heat he felt on his cheeks, because Dream was happier now, and George just needed to move on. This wasn’t helping his case. He needed to think before he acted.

Finally, George stepped away, examining the stain. “It’s the best I can do,” he sighed, drying his hands, “You just have to wash it when you get… when you-- uhm-- leave, or something. It’ll dry eventually.” He stumbled over his words as he realised he didn’t even know himself where Dream was staying. Did he already find somewhere else that he called home?

“Right,” Dream nodded, still watching George’s every move. George turned to stiffly nod at Dream one last time before he moved to leave the bathroom.  _ Letting go, _ he thought,  _ I need to let go. _

“Wait.”

The brunet stopped, his breath shallow as he stood under the gaze of Dream. “Hm?” he hummed, not trusting his voice. He didn’t turn to face Dream.

“I-” Dream started, before shakily exhaling and starting again, “I’m so sorry, George.”

George clenched his fists, staring angrily at the wall.  _ I need to move on. _

“I know I said lots of hurtful things. I know I fucked up. Badly. Really badly,” Dream laughed slightly, but it was void of happiness. “I know you deserve better than me. I thought that a lot when we…” he swallowed. “When we were together. And… I know you should move on. I know you probably want to. But, call me selfish, George, but I don’t want you to.”

George’s lip quivered as he stared straight forward, his eyes brimming with tears.

“I’m so fucking selfish, George,” Dream breathed, “I’m so selfish because I still want you, even though we ended things. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I still love you, so much, and I still want to be the reason for your smiles, and I still want to be able to hold you and kiss you, but I know I lost my chance. And you probably hate me. I would too.

“I love you so much, still, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop. I don’t think I ever could, even if I tried. And you can leave, if you want. To be fair, I don’t even know why you’re not leaving me right now. But I just… I love you. You’re still my whole world, and you always will be. I don’t deserve someone as beautiful and smart and… perfect as you. I still can’t understand why you chose me.

“But you did. And I think you deserve an explanation. I have… I have anger problems. Sometimes. A lot, when I’m stressed. I used to storm out of my house as a kid when I was upset, walk it off, and then come back when I was calmer. It hadn’t been a problem for so many years, and I guess… I forgot to tell you. Or, maybe I wish I could say that I forgot. But you looked at me with this… pure, unfiltered admiration all the time. I didn’t want to ruin that. I didn’t want you to leave me. I was-- I  _ am _ so fucking selfish, George. I always will be when it comes to you.”

George turned around, tears streaming down his cheeks as he stormed up to Dream, who was also crying. His legs shook as he approached the taller man, who seemed like he would’ve kept babbling if George didn’t react soon. He didn’t know how much more of his words he could take. 

He slapped him. George raised his arm, slapping Dream with as much force as he could, piling all his anger and heartbreak and sadness into that one slap. The sound resonated as soon as his fingers met Dream’s cheek, the latter’s eyes widening as the pain registered in his mind. His hand reached up to caress his quickly reddening cheek, looking back at George in shock.  _ Well, _ he supposed,  _ I did deserve it. _

“You… you’re such an idiot,” George said, smiling fondly even with his tear-stained cheeks and puffy eyes. “Of course I love you still. I love you so goddamn much, Clay. You’ve always made my day, even with just your voice, and even though you’re so fucking stupid, I always come running back to you.”

His voice lowered down to a shy whisper as he continued. “You always pull me back. I love the feeling of your arms around my body, and I love the feeling of your lips on mine, and I’ll never stop loving it because I love you so much, no matter how shitty you are. You just… you’re so bright. You’re so untouchable, and I remember never confessing to you because you just seemed so beautiful and perfect compared to me.

“I love you, Clay. I don’t think I’ll ever stop.”

Both of them had tears running down their cheeks, but their smiles were equally bright as they simultaneously leaned in for a kiss. It was sloppy, their lips eager to finally meet again. It was salty with the tears, but both of them wouldn’t have it any other way as Dream pulled George closer to him by the waist and George wrapped his arms around Dream’s neck, pulling the latter in closer to him. 

It was everything they had been hiding, everything they needed to say (even though they already said a lot), and everything that they had missed. It seemed to end too soon as George pulled away to take a breath, Dream subtly chasing his lips.

They panted against each other, smiling fondly, their eyes filled with love and adoration.

“Be my boyfriend?” Dream whispered, afraid that if he spoke too loudly, it would ruin the moment they had created. “Again?”

George’s smile widened. “Always.”

~~~

Dream and George returned to the bowling set-up with equally bright smiles on their faces. The two looked at Sapnap and Bad, and no words needed to be said as the two sat together on the couch, their sides touching and their hands entwined. Bad and Sapnap looked at each other knowingly and easily fell into conversation with their friends.

“Oh,” Bad piped up, “You guys missed the end of the game. I won.”

Dream looked down at his hand, clasping George’s tightly. He smiled slightly to himself. “I think I won something a little better today,” he murmured, and the way George flushed, meeting his eyes with embarrassment, he really wouldn’t have it any other way.

_ I don’t think I could ever stop loving someone as perfect as you. _

He didn’t intend to fuck it up again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :DDD  
> did you like? was it good? did you guys enjoy? was this what you wanted?
> 
> anyway.  
> i had so much fun writing the ending of this. i felt really wise writing a bunch of it too ngl
> 
> this took a while, i'm super duper sorry for that. i hope it hit your expectations nonetheless. 
> 
> also can we give sapnap and bad the 'best friends of the year' award? yes? pls and ty.
> 
> on other topics, I'm still internally sobbing. dream smp l'manberg arc finale. holy shit. it was- it was- it was everything. i'm so excited to see what comes next.
> 
> thank you very much for reading, and i hope you enjoyed! remember that there's always a reason to smile, and i hope you all have a lovely day/night. i love you!!!!
> 
> ~donut <3

**Author's Note:**

> i'm sorry. 
> 
> ~donut


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